Bush Tetras - “So Strange”

Bush Tetras left an indelible mark on Mew York City during their brief, but impactful original run. The trio pioneered the city’s esteemed No Wave scene in the late 70s early 80s, blending dark elements of punk and the deep, rhythmic grooves of funk and soul. The few singles they released 40 years ago, like “Too Many Creeps” and “Can’t Be Funky,” still get toes tapping and heads bopping at punk clubs across the city. As a DJ, I’d happily attest to that with my right hand on a bible. Their mystique still floats around these parts, but this band is not a thing of the past. Bush Tetras are still kicking all these years later. Their third record, They Live in My Head, which dropped earlier this month, is living proof that they’re as vital as ever.

They Live in My Head is the band’s first in over a decade (and sadly, their first without longtime drummer Dee Pop, who passed away in 2021) and it sounds as if they’re taking stock of where they’ve been and where they’re headed. “So Strange” is especially reflective and personal. Above a classic, groovy Tetras beat and angular guitars, vocalist Cynthia Sley recounts memories of a grittier, thriving art scene of Manhattan in 1979. In a recent interview with Brooklyn Vegan, Sley described the song as “a reflection of growing up together, what we were eating, what we were doing, weird little things people probably won’t get. But that’s cool.”

Stream the track below!

You can purchase That Live In My Head on limited edition vinyl via Bandcamp. It’s out now via Wharf Cat Records. The band will be celebrating the release of the record with a show at Le Poisson Rouge on September 15th. Tickets are available now. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram.